


Infinity War in FIVE Acts

by GalaxyLucia



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angsty with a side of fluff, But Nebula gives zero fucks, Deleted Scenes, Ensemble Cast, Everyone is grieving, Fix-It of Sorts, Hulk has a cameo, I'm not a total monster, Implied Nebula/Mantis, IronStrange, M/M, Multi, Superfamily (Marvel), ThunderScience - Freeform, gammahammer - Freeform, somewhat canon compliant, there is hope for our babies, thorbruce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 08:17:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15335685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyLucia/pseuds/GalaxyLucia
Summary: Five Acts.Five different perspectives spanning time from the morning of Thanos' arrival to after The Snap.





	Infinity War in FIVE Acts

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: Not my characters. Don't sue, blah blah blah.
> 
> I am so happy to finally post this! Comments and feedback are welcome, but no pressure. This is my first IronStrange and ThorBruce fic. It's not my best, but I'm coming back after a two year writing hiatus.

**ACT ONE: TONY**

 

Tony’s thighs locked Stephen’s sprawling leg firmly Holding the sorcerer in place—naked and on his back. Stephen, now wide awake, huffed mildly exasperated while Tony pretended to sleep snoring too loudly.

“Tony.”

“Hmm.”

“ _Tony_.”

Stephen sat up on his elbows jerking his leg to no avail. He sank back into the pillow and spoke in a dangerously low tone in Tony’s ear.

“Do not make me bring the Cloak into this.”

Tony jerked awake theatrically, stretching his entire muscular body on his side of their king-sized bed.

“Cloakie knows full well the penalty if it so much as peeks through our windows.”

Stephen snorted at the pathetic threat and placed his hands behind his head as he wriggled his toes. The cloak of levitation, which hung limply at the foot of the bed, straightened up with a sharp snap, ready to strike.

“Down girl! Daddy’s just fine,” Tony said releasing Stephen’s leg.

But the cloak whisked up to the middle of their bed and whacked Tony’s hamstring in retaliation.

“Hey!” Tony screeched shooting up to massage the back of his leg. “That actually hurt.”

“I would apologize on its behalf, but you are making us late.”

Stephen sat up smiling and scratched his scalp making his bed hair even more ridiculous. The white strands at his temples flew out from his head. Tony giggled. An actual high-pitched giggle at the sight of Stephen’s bed hair. How could he not? It was undeniably adorable. He turned on his side and cradled his head in palm for a full view. His sleepy brown eyes roamed all over Stephen’s body: from the edges of his hair curled at the nape of his neck, down to the two peaks Stephen’s toned, pale shoulders, along the crease of his spine…

“So no apology? What kind of doctor are you? I thought you swore to do no harm?” Tony teased reaching over and poking the doctor right at the top of his butt crack.

Stephen hopped forward swatting away’s Tony’s hand.

“I did,” He turned around to scold Tony, “But the Cloak is a free agent.”

He leaned over to kiss Tony’s thick, but shorter thigh, then his hip, and swirled his tongue inside Tony’s belly button, which elicited a yelp.

“Feeling better?”

“It’s a start,” Tony moaned as his eyes fluttered shut.

His olive-toned skin developed a blush and goosebumps broke out on his arm. He shivered and opened his eyes wide to see Stephen leaning over him at a angle that couldn’t be too comfortable for his back. The doctor hummed and kissed Tony hard on the nose before finally getting out of bed, in a slow-measured gait to the bathroom to give Tony a full view of his ass and long legs. He could do this forever.

The cloak and Tony shared a brief glance before it swished away. He could not bring himself to sass a magically-imbued article of clothing that protected his boyfriend. He fell back on his bed sprawling out across the satin sheets wondering for the umpteenth time how the hell had he lucked out with one of the most incredible human beings alive on the planet. After the insane lives they lead— he mentoring the kid, Spiderman, now that he was relieved of his duty as acting advisor (and financier) of the defunct Avengers; Stephen, emeritus Sorcerer Supreme, battling the mystical threats in the magical realm— a year ago, hell, six months ago Tony never would have imagined falling in love with the world-renowned neurosurgeon-turned sorcerer. And it was love. The real deal. Tony would lay down his life for anyone, but if he had to give up his soul for Stephen, he would.

“Hey you coming?” Stephen shouted, hidden by the thick steam seeping out of the adjacent bathroom. “I thought you were going on your morning jog?”

Tony smiled to himself noting the sarcastic tone as he willed himself to finally sit up.

“Gotcha. I only said that to eat the last donut yesterday,” he called from the edge of the bed.

“I knew it!” Stephen yelled in mock disgust over the powerful shower stream.

“Aw, come on. Don’t be mad. Think of it as me helping you maintain that incredible ass.”

 

***                                 *                                    ***

 

Tony laced up his running shoes sitting on the warm stoop of the brownstone they shared. Stephen (and the slap-friendly cloak) left for the New York Sanctum Sanctorum through a portal in their bedroom with a promise to help Tony burn off any remaining donut calories later that night. Tony grinned to himself, stretching his quads lightly once more and ending with a couple of old-school trunk twists before starting his run.

The late morning orange sun hung behind thick white clouds. The usual soundtrack of honking cars, screeching garbage trucks, and the faint yet distinct cacophony of talk radio, samba music pierced the air. Tony didn’t bother with earphones on his run. To him it was all white noise, proof that all was well on planet Earth.

Five miles in, he had reached his mid-point at the archway of Central park. If he hadn’t chose that exact moment to sip his 9.5 pH water, he would have missed it: a glowing, fiery missile free-falling through the Earth’s atmosphere.

Tony looked around him. Crowds of tourists wearing sunglasses posed with selfie sticks, book readers tanned on blankets, homeless people slept on benches. Hell, even pigeons with their bobbing heads fluttered their wings preferring to be flightless on the dirty sidewalks near people eating lunch. All unseeing. Unobserving. Completely oblivious.

“Friday, what am I seeing?” he said calmly, touching the frame of his sunglasses.

“Hello sir. A projectile descending at a rate of 460 miles per hour. Calculations estimate impact in approximately forty-eight seconds.” 

“Where?” Tony whispered clenching his water bottle.

Shit.

He knew those coordinates by heart.

“Stephen,” he gasped as the object crashed through the roof of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum.

 

 

**ACT TWO: BRUCE**

 

Bruce Banner woke up in a dusty pile of dirt, shards of glass, and planks of wood and brick. 

“Thor?” he croaked trying to re-orient himself.

It took him several seconds before he realized that he was not lying on his back in the dark of the ruins of the Asgardian ship. He was not with Thor. He could smell it in the air: he was back on Earth, light years away from whatever was happening to Thor, Valykyrie—

And Thanos.

The memory was fuzzy (it always was transitioning from The Other Guy) but Bruce clawed at the terrifying images flickering in his mind— Thanos had caught them, slaughtered half of Thor’s people. Hulk landed a few punches, but it wasn’t enough.

Now destruction was on its way.

Bruce shook out some of the dust in his thick graying curls. His eyes strained to identify the silhouetted figures peering above him.

“Can we help you?” said the man in blue wearing a fluttering red cape.

“W-where am I? I know I’m on Earth, but…” Bruce stood up slowly, strategically shielding his groin area.

“New York,” said the man warily, “I’m Doctor Stephen Strange and this is Master Wong. You’ve just crashed landed in the Sanctum Sanctorum at 177 Bleeker Street.”

“I’ll get him some clothes,” Wong said slightly exasperated as if a naked man falling from the sky _wasn’t_ the weirdest encounter they had had that day.

Bruce wiggled his toes in the dirt speculating what type of doctor would dress like a Buddhist monk in a New York “sanctuary” when Wong tossed down a folded pile of sweats and pink flip flops. 

That levitated in mid-air at chest level. Like magic.

“Uh...guys?”

“We’ll give you a moment,” Stephen said with a slight smirk at Bruce’s expression as he and Wong turned away giving Bruce a moment of privacy.

Bruce blinked twice. Should it really be so surprising that was magic on Earth with actual magicians? Bruce rationalized and reasoned that if he, a scientist who could voluntarily transform into a thunderous primitive green giant, who just happened to be dating an Asgardian god of thunder…

Sure. Magic on Earth. Why not?

“You decent?” asked Wong in a terse gruff voice.

“Yeah, I— Whoa!”

Bruce levitated out of the basement level up twenty feel and flopped like a car dealership balloon man as he gently landed in front of the two magicians.

“Okay. Yeah, that’s a creative energy-alternative to an elevator,” he said bracing himself.

“Well, you missed the stairs by about thirty feet. This was quicker,” said Wong with a scowl. He folded his arms over his extended belly wrapped with thick brown belts of his mahogany colored tunic.

“Sorry about that.”

“And who might you be?” Stephen asked in a almost sing-songy tone examining the busted roof.

“I’m Bruce. Dr. Bruce Banner. Nuclear physics. Not a medical doctor.” He said sheepishly clasping his hands in front of him nervously.

Stephen’s narrowed grey eyes widened in recognition and though he didn’t say it, Bruce recognised that look. It was the same one he’d seen on people’s faces as they registered he was The Hulk.

“Well, I am. A medical doctor. Neurosurgeon though,” Stephen held up his trembling scarred hands with a wry smile at Wong, “I don’t practice anymore.”

“Yeah. No kidding.”

Bruce had a better view of their attire and the first floor of the Sanctorum. The foyer was darkly lit in stark contrast to the shaft of yellow sunlight pouring through the roof.

“So are you guys like, wizards or magicians? The cape part of the uniform? I had a friend, he uh…”

 _Don’t think about it. Don’t think about him._ Bruce winced shaking his head as if it would dispel the painful reminders of Thor.

Stephen and Wong shared another glance. The cloak bristled behind Stephen annoyed.

“This is the Cloak of Levitation. A powerful magical relic. Not a cape.” Stephen said with a tight smile. “So you’re a friend of Tony’s?”

“Tony? Tony Stark? Jesus, how do you know—? Of course, everybody knows Tony,” Bruce said nodding to himself. 

A bell rapidly dinged obnoxiously, followed by fists pounding on the door.

“What did you do? Send out free pizza notices?” Wong gruffed rotating his fists outstretched in front of him as if he was steering a sailboat.

Tony Stark—Iron Man really, though his nanobot suit was seamlessly transitioning back to Tony’s running wear— sprinted through the doors of the Sanctorum and stopped an inch away from Stephen.

“You’re okay?” His eyes wide with terror.

Stephen shrugged with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah of course,” he said slightly embarrassed by Tony’s reaction. “Did you fly all the way over here? What are you—”

The cloak was not so nonchalant. The corners of its hems snapped around Tony and shoved the two of them into a constricted embrace.

Wong rolled his eyes. “Very professional Strange. Very professional.”

Tony smiled. “See? She does love me. Don’t you Cloakie?”

“Stop. Stop it,” Stephen whined wiggling himself free as the cloak relinquished its hold.

“Real talk. I saw something crash your roof. From space. So?”

“Oh that. Yes, well an old friend dropped by.” Stephen held out an arm from the ceiling to Bruce who waved shyly from a distance.

“Hey Tony.”

Tony blinked rapidly utterly gobsmacked. “Uh hey buddy. Nice flip flops, though pink’s not really your color.”

“Heh, yeah I know,” Bruce shrugged as Tony hugged him a little too tight with a final pat to his shoulder.

“Okay but seriously—” Wong interrupted.

Tony cleared his throat and Stephen winked.

“Yes, seriously Bruce! Where the _hell_ have you been?” Tony said in mock anger with his hands on his hips.

Bruce took a deep breath and recounted the abridged version of his Quinn jet ride to Sakaar to more importantly Thanos' imminent arrival.

“So where’s Thor and Loki now?” Stephen asked properly concerned.

“Wait you know Thor too?” Wong asked more impressed than he wanted to be.

Everyone looked at Stephen slightly confused.

“I helped with a parental situation once.” Stephen waved the question away lazily.

“When?” Tony asked. “You never told me this. Why do I feel like I’m learning all these dark secrets—”

“Guys!” Bruce cried out nearly surprised by his own daring. “Thanos is coming. I mean he’s like a plague Tony. I don’t know where Thor is. I”m not even sure he’s even alive.” He swiped fast at a tear in his eye.

A rumble and blast of air shook the floor.

“Hey babe, you’re not making your hair move like that huh?” Tony nodded at the stray lock fluttering on Stephen’s forehead.

“Nope.”

“Shit. He’s here!”

Bruce sprinted to the door as fast as he could in flip flops. The other men followed him out into the chaos of high winds flipping cars and other debris. The circular spaceship hovered miles above the gridlocked city streets with city residents and tourists alike tripping over themselves to flee from crashed vehicles.

Within minutes the city blocks were empty.

Ebony Maw’s decrepit gray wrinkled face observed the scene with indifference as he called out his scripted death-by-Thanos speech. The gigantic creature with a battle gun slightly smaller than a Tesla electric car, stood by his side waiting for Maw’s command.

“Earth is closed today asshole,” Tony yelled, not even bothering to suit up. Yet.

“Tony, don’t antagonize him,” Stephen hissed as Tony sauntered past him.

Ebony Maw snorted almost amused.

“Look at you two quarreling like an old-married couple. Stone keeper, does this chattering primitive animal speak for you?” Maw asked.

Stephen cast a protective shield spell, the orange golden geometric circles pulsated from his raised fists. Wong did the same.

“Sometimes. Oh and by the way, there’s nothing primitive about him.” Stephen snarled.

Tony twisted behind him and tapped the reactor on his chest, suiting up except for the facial shield.

“Aww, that’s so sweet,” he blew a kiss back at Stephen. The cloak caught it.

“Enough of this nonsense. Give us the Time Stone now or—” Maw started. 

“Hey Brucie-Bruce. Any help from the Big Guy?" Tony politely held up a finger to Ebony Maw who rolled his eyes hard with such utter disdain as he waved the armed alien giant to retrieve the time stone.

Bruce blushed as the three of them turned to him. He shrugged helplessly.

“C’mon man. This is kinda his thing. And you’re really embarrassing me in front of the wizards.” Tony joked.

Bruce gulped. “Uh, well we’ve been having some issues…”

They all looked up to see the giant quickly advancing with his slow, but large strides.

“What? What kind of trouble?” Tony asked as his casual demeanor faded.

“Hold on,” Bruce commanded.

He held out a hand taking a couple of steps to distance himself from them. Clenching his fists, he tapped into his usual painful, angry, triggering memories that brought The Other Guy out. He could feel Him, lurking beneath his skin. And it was starting to work. The prickly sensation of skin pores expanding with pain, his body temperature soared as green blotches appeared across his hairy olive-toned skin. Finally, Bruce gave Him a jolt and slapped himself across the face hard.

“C’mon Man!” he bellowed into the air.

“Where’s Thor?” The Hulk roared before leaving Bruce sweaty and one hundred percent vulnerable.

The two sorcerers and Iron Man stared at him wide eyed with surprised and a familiar expression of pity.

“Guys, he just...I-I don’t,” Bruce’s face reddened with shame and embarrassment. It was bad enough that _he_ was distracted by his fears about Thor, but now even the The Other Guy was missing Thor on top of being unwilling to fight.

Tony clapped. “Okay get him out of here!” he yelled taking a running jump at the Giant.

Stephen propelled a shield spell to protect them.

“I got it!” Wong said as a portal opened to his left.

“W-wait guys, no!” Bruce pleaded as the sizzling sparks widened into a circular view of green grass was thrown at him.

He plunged to the ground from about ten feet in the air. The rear end of a yellow taxi cab flew through the portal and missed him by inches. Blades of grass tickled his palms and the soles of his bare feet as he staggered up quickly, dusting himself off. A pang of inadequacy zapped him. The voices in his head reminded him that for the second time in as many hours, he let the people he cared for down.

He couldn’t protect the man he loved.

He couldn’t protect his friends.

What the hell was Bruce Banner good for?

 

**ACT THREE: STEPHEN**

 

A jab of pain in his left leg jolted him awake. His gray eyes blinked, rapidly adjusting to the dim bluish-white glow of needle thin rods aimed strategically at his levitated body like a sadistic acupuncture session. Ebony Maw turned around delighted that Stephen had awakened. They both knew that he would die before handing over the time stone.  Being every inch as sadistic as his master, Maw intended to torture Stephen for the fuck of it.

They didn’t exchange many words before the first set of the needles pierced Stephen in the cheek, his right bicep, the back of his left thigh, and there was one dangerously close to possibly lobotomizing him as it approached his occipital lobe. His screams were involuntarily from the pain, but he tried to distract himself by keeping track of other details.

One, he didn’t feel the cloak. It saddened him just a little that it was unable to stay with him though he knows the cloak fought as fiercely as it always did. At the most inconvenient moment, a jab of regret entered his brain. Tony. There had been no time to say goodbye, or to even make a plan (not that Tony would have made one), but now he was on a solo, one-way trip to Thanos.

His mind jumped back to the morning only several hours ago, lying in bed, limbs entangled with one of the brainiest, funniest, and sexiest people he had the undeserved fortune of not just knowing but loving. Love. An honest, ego-busting, heart-wrenching love. The kind he never thought was in the stars for the incomparable Doctor Stephen Strange.

And he would in all likelihood never see Tony Stark again. Never kiss his lips, or run his fingers down the back of Tony’s hairy thighs or his low-pitched voice in his ear whispering deliciously wicked threats like—

“Okay douchebag. This acupuncture session has now come to a close,” said a snarky voice that sounded very much like Tony Fucking Stark.

“Tony?” Stephen strained, but another scream of pain escaped him as a distinct burning sensation exploded in bottom abdomen.

A blast to the left of both him and Ebony Maw, created a hungry, whorling hole in the side of the ship sucking everything in the vicinity into the silent black void of outer space. With bulky unsecured boxes and snapped cables, Ebony Maw (too busy threatening Tony to realize the classic stall-the-villain technique) was vacuumed through the hole. Next were the needles.

Then Stephen.

He zoomed out past the ship walls but was yanked back abruptly into the ship. The cloak of levitation secured itself around him and clung to a nearby pole. But it wasn’t enough. The pull of space yanked them out just as quickly when—

“I got him sir!”

Oh god. Not the kid too.

Moments later, after the hole was sealed by Tony’s suit. Peter and Stephen got to their feet as they struggled to catch their breath. Stephen noticed the upgraded model of Peter’s suit and rage, from his pre-accident life, exploded out of him.

“Dammit Tony! What are you- what’s the kid doing here?” His screams echoed throughout the ship. “You shouldn’t be here. Neither of you!”

Tony flopped his arms at his side in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? What did you expect? I go where you go pal. Deal.”

“Same!” Peter chimed with a finger in the air.

Both Stephen and Tony whirled around to yell at Peter point fingers. Stephen’s sure Peter isn’t really making out much, but he got the point. The kid held out his palms and ripped off his mask.

“Oh come one! That was my idea by the way.”

“Sit down and shut it kid. The grown-ups are talking.” Tony ordered sidling up to Peter real fast, real close. Stephen narrowed his eyes. Maybe the kid’s not supposed to be here after all?

Peter balked, backed away giving them distance.

Stephen involuntarily reached out for Tony who practically fell into his arms.

“Tony, I told you. My job is to protect the Time Stone with my life,” he said. His shaky hands caressed the cold exterior of Tony’s suit as he kissed the shorter man’s forehead.

Tony shook his head slowly. “After all this time you just don’t get it do you? You are my life.”

“Um, guys?” Peter called from a distance.

“Not now Peter, your dad is declaring his undying love for me. I may never hear this again.”

“Okay, but first of all aren't you guys like, married by now?" 

Stephen and Tony, not breaking eye contact, made grumbling noises of dissent before laughing and kissing chastely.

“And second, who’s flying the ship?”

“We’re getting to that kid, so...” Tony made a ‘zip-it’ signal across his lips at Peter before facing Stephen once more.

“Tony, we cannot take this back to Earth. It’s foolish to do so and apparently this Thanos will be looking for it.” Stephen sighed wishing Tony would take of the suit so he could feel more of his skin.

“What the hell do you want me to do?” Tony yelled, not realizing his voice had risen with the anger and frustration they were all feeling.

Stephen’s lips twisted in a wistful half smile as his eyes took a mental snapshot of Tony’s hair haloed by the light. He kissed him again and let it linger before speaking.

“Take Peter. Find a pod and—”

Tony broke away, but remained within arm’s reach. He wagged a finger in Stephen’s face with a fake smile full of panic. Stephen's shaky finger traced the perfectly manicured goatee on Tony’s face. They knew each other so well by now that the argument was almost moot: Tony knew Stephen was not going back on his vow to protect the stone. Hell, if they hadn’t shown up, Stephen would have probably died. And Tony couldn’t let that happen. Ever.

“Nuh-uh,” Tony interrupted thinking quickly. “I”m not leaving you. We-” he looked back at Peter, who dangled upside-down from a piece of machinery. “Kid? Really?” he scrunched his face and turned back to Stephen.

“Tony,” Stephen whispered.

“Okay, wait. Wait! I gotta—” Tony tapped his temple as he paced with his eyes closed. “Let’s say we go to Titan.” he suggested with the snap of his fingers.

“And fight Thanos? On his own turf?”

“Exactly! He’ll never expect us there.”

Now Stephen stepped back, massaging his forehead brow from the corners of his large gray eyes.

“And then what? How will you and Peter get home?”

Tony inhaled deeply, shaking his fists at his should’ve-been-if-they-hadn’t-dicked-around-with-paperwork husband and lightly punched Stephen’s arm. Well, he attempted to but the cloak caught his fist.

“Don’t you mean, how will _we_ get home?” he corrected with a hard yank on ‘we’. “And, I dunno. We’ll wing it. Trust me.”

Stephen locked eyes with Tony and winced slightly at the pressure on his knuckles as Tony interlocked their fingers tightly.

“Please.”

It was barely louder than the hum of the self-automated machines whirring and clicking around them, but it exploded in Stephen’s ear and he felt the vibration rattle his heart. With one word (and look) Stephen nodded. Tony won this round. But, he’s okay with that. For now.

“I can’t lose you,” Stephen whispered, his voice hitched in his throat.

“You won’t. Scout’s honor.”

Tony held up three fingers and pressed his body tight against Stephen. Their lips brushed each others with the weight of a butterfly landing on a leaf. The cloak wooshed away, annoyed and hovered next to Peter, now on the ground squinting hard as he very deliberately observed the rafters of their newly commandeered ship. The cloak searched upward, partly for a different view and also to spot any potential threats.

Peter cleared his throat twice and stretched wildly before Stephen broke away with his pale fingers calmly tracing Tony’s lips, the side of his jawline, taking more snapshots of every facial hair, pore, premature laugh lines on Tony’s tanned skin.

“Just in case we—”

Tony slid out of reach with his fingers in both ears.

“Nope. Let’s go deal with the kid. Mushy time over,” he said and strolled towards Peter with his arms folded.

Peter gulped and self-consciously pawed at the spider symbol on his suit.

“So what’s the opposite of a prodigal son? Because I’m pretty sure I sent you a parachute with explicit instructions to high-tail it home.”

Peter looked at the cloak. “Maybe we should’ve just let them keep kissing?”

The cloak shrugged like, _You’re on your own kid,_ and zoomed back to Stephen’s shoulders.

“Tony, the kid’s here now and he did just save my life.” Stephen said glancing at Peter fondly.

“Yes! Thank you Doctor dad! Finally some ackno—”

“Shut up Peter!” Tony and Stephen yelled.

“Wait. Did you just call me… Doctor dad?” Stephen asked genuinely touched. 

Peter nodded emphatically hoping to be spared from Tony’s wrath. “Yeah, I mean everyone knows I’ve got Aunt May and…. Y’know two dads. And by everyone, it’s just Ned and M.J.”

“Are you buying this?” Tony huffed in disbelief.

Stephen nodded beaming. “Yeah. I’m not just a dad Tony. I'm a _Doctor_ dad.” he raised an eyebrow.

“Oh. So you think that makes you better than me?”

“No, no, no. Don’t fight. You can be my Iron Dad,” Peter quipped.

Tony glared at Peter and waved the sentiment away as if it was second-hand smoke.

“Look kid. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Give the kid a break,” Stephen said with a grin.

“I’m sorry, who was just yelling at me about having brought him here, which I clearly did not do.”

“Well you did, kinda call me from school, to uh, tell me him to trail him Mr. Stark.”

Stephen’s mouth flopped open in mock horror. “So you _did_ call him.”

Tony’s head swiveled between the two of them with his best death glare.

“Geez, it really doesn’t take much, huh _Doctor_ dad?”

“Not really, no.” Stephen smirked.

Tony sighed defeated, but Stephen could see the true effort he was making to stay calm. Whatever plan Tony had concocted to rescue him, he knew the kid definitely shouldn't have been there, and now it was up to the two of them to protect him. Peter had no idea what he had truly stumbled into.

“Wow. Can’t believe you’re really gonna make me do this. Come here kid.” Tony barked softly still glaring at Peter.

Peter bit his bottom-lip, but step forward unsure of what to expect. Tony’s arm saluted Peter on the shoulders in the laziest version of a knighthood dubbing. 

“You’re officially a member of the Avengers kid.”

Peter grinned, his fists ready to punch the air.

“But,” Tony continued with a finger in Peter’s hairless pale face, “Don’t think for a second that you’re not grounded the minute we hit Earth’s atmosphere.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Stark,” Peter gushed bouncing on his toes. “Absolutely.” 

Tony turned to walk away.

“Thanks Iron dad,” Peter mumbled.

Stephen heard it, so he _knew_ Tony heard it being closer to the young man so full of promise. He watched the blush creep Tony’s ears to his chin as he paused momentarily before continuing his stroll to locate the pilot controls.

Peter waved his fist in the air with a silent victorious cheer and the cloak gave him a thumbs-up. Tony viciously swatted at it.

“Don’t encourage him!” he growled walking past Stephen.

“Excuse you,” Stephen said folding back the edges of the cloak with his hands (not to protect the cloak, but save Tony from its wrath). “Nobody touches the cloak but me.”

“Oh shut up and help me figure out how to fly this donut to Titan.”

Stephen sighed admiring Tony’s stiff grumpy walk down the dim corridor. When it was all over, once they were back home (with Peter under tighter surveillance than the Federal Witness Protection program), he vowed to massage every stressed-out inch of Tony’s body.

Mordo had once told him he was _born_ for the mystical arts. But perhaps, he was born to love Tony Stark too.

 

**ACT FOUR: THOR**

 

Those remaining slowly gathered around.

Okoye shook the dust flakes of T’Challa, the Black Panther, her king, off her hands. Her wide deep brown eyes spotted Thor halfway across the clearing of the forest, burning with questions that he couldn’t bear to answer. He stood straighter grasping the air where he once held the axe, his newly forged axe which was still lodged in the chest of that purple bastard—Thanos.

A few feet ahead, he watched Captain America in dark dismal colors, speckled with the reddish-brown dust of the Wakanda soil, stumble forward in a daze as the horrific graying dust of his companion fell from his upturned palms.

“What is this? What the hell just happened?” Rhodey asked to no one in particular. His bulky suit clanked forward.

Thor recognized Rhodey’s suit. A design of Tony Stark. To his left, he spotted a one-armed, boulder-size metallic suit approaching them from the riverbank, which he assumed encased the genius billionaire. Banner was nowhere in sight. Thor bit down on the panic, the grief that threatened to devour him.

“I don’t know,” Okoye simpered looking around in shock. “What magic is this?” 

“It is my fault,” he said in a tight voice.

The group turned to him in disagreement, but he bowed his head ashamed to meet her eyes, suddenly unable to breathe beneath the crushing pressure of his guilt.

“I-I aimed for the heart, but… I should have… and then he—” Thor snapped his fingers.

The metallic boulder of a suit whirred and shuttered forward in three massive strives as if ready for combat. Thor stood his ground. If Tony Stark and the rest of them wanted to fight him for his fatal blunder, he would take it without defending himself.

But the suit came to a halt before him. The front panels clicked and slid open to reveal—

Thor gasped.

Bruce Banner, disheveled and fatigued, clambered out of the suit and promptly crashed to the ground face first.

He quickly got up with a hasty spot check as he dusted his shoulders and then his beard. Without a goddamn care of what it looked like to everyone else, he leaped into the arms of the Asgardian king and god of thunder.

“Banner?” Thor gasped, unable to believe the sight in front of him until Bruce crushed his body against his (which was probably more painful for Bruce than Thor), but neither cared as they clung to each other tight.

“Thor,” Bruce said catching his breath and taking a small step back to look up to the taller man comfortably, “Listen to me. This was not your fault! We all, everyone,” he waved his arm aimlessly gesturing to everyone else, “We all did what we could. I mean, Wanda, geez, Wanda actually destroyed the mind stone before…”

“Before he just dialed back time and killed Vision all over again?” said Steve Rogers, smoothing down his dark blond hair as he paced in small circles. “You think that was the best we could do? How was this…? Look what happened to Bucky and Sam?” His voice gave out as silent tears fell into his light brown beard.

Natasha gently patted him on the elbow, looking at Okoye and everyone else with an uncommon expression of helplessness in her reddened eyes.

“We should go back. See who’s left. If they need help with the… injured,” she suggested wiping her nose.

“That is very kind of you, Romanoff,” said Okoye, equally if not more composed.

“Natasha, please.”

They smiled through their mutual grief.

“Thank you Natasha,” Okoye continued, with a slight nod, “But Wakandans are extracting those left. You are all still our...guests. Please follow me back to the palace. The sun is setting fast on this day.”

She turned swiftly, her red Dora Milaje uniform swished behind her powerful muscular body, and marched at a ruthless pace, fully aware of the unseen horrors they would encounter once they reached the battlefield of the Wakandan plains. Steve, Natasha, and Rhodey followed silently.

“Heh, assuming they’re not dusted,” said a raspy tired voice to Thor and Bruce’s left.

Thor still clutched Bruce by the elbow, terrified that if he let go, Bruce would disintegrate before his eyes as if on some vindictive delay of Thanos’ maniacal cleansing scheme. His eyes slowly panned down and he gasped again relieved and surprised by his great fortune.

“Sweet Rabbit! You’re ok!”

“Heh, ok? I never been more not ok in my life Angel, but…” Rocket trailed off as his wet eyes squeezed shut, glancing for the last time at the spot where the adolescent Groot had been.

He cleared his throat and tilted his snout up high observing Thor and Bruce holding hands.

“Oh… so this the one you thought was dead?” he gestured at Bruce. “Eh, me and your, uh, love angel. Found him floatin in space after we responded to a distress signal Gamora…” he trailed off, his paw clutched at his chest as he grimaced in pain. “...And Peter… wherever the hell they are. Whatever. The name’s Rocket,” he said in one breath and held out his paw to Bruce. 

Bruce did a double-take at Thor because... What? Now there were talking animals on Earth and of course he knew Thor, the two of them catching up like war veteran buddies. A stupid fleeting thought wondered if Thor was a real-life Disney princess.

“Uh hey man. Yeah, I’m Bruce. Bruce Banner,” he said lunging downward to shake Rocket’s paw with respect.

Thor smiled and nodded at Bruce feeling immensely relieved yet guilty. The one person he loved in the universe was live and in one piece. Knowing that Thanos succeeded in securing all six of the Infinity stones, he could only imagine the fates of Rocket’s other companions. Thor squeezed Bruce’s hand painfully before easing up as he let go to kneel on one knee in front of Rocket. But, one could dare to hope and he was a man who did dare.

 “Rabbit, I’m sorry to see that Tree was not spared, but perhaps we can find your friends…” he said smiling sweetly.

Rocket’s ears folded back and his furry head shot up. He growled with his teeth bared at Thor and backed away.

“You think my friends survived...” his tiny arms waved haphazardly in the air, “this?! Thanos has all the stones Angel. All the stones! And I let them go and meet that sonofabitch! Groot and I, we should’ve been there. We…”

Rocket dropped his fists. His chest heaved rapidly as he blinked away tears.

“My apologies Rabbit. I did not wish to antagonize you,” Thor whispered placing a massive hand on Rocket’s shoulder. He glanced behind him at Bruce who gestured _what-do-we-do?_

Rocket sniffle and shrugged Thor off unsuccessfully, but Thor got the hint and dropped his hand.

“Meh. He’s cute by the way,” Rocket said faking a sense of casualness. He walked around Thor’s head to make eye contact with Bruce. “Yeah, I was just saying you two are real cute together.”

Bruce nodded politely and smiled with a nervous wave. “Uh, thanks?”

Thor beamed for a moment and then stood up as Rocket went ahead without a goodbye. He sniffed the air to follow the travelling path of Okoye and the others.

“Hey you better hurry up. It’s getting real dark out here,” Rocket called behind him not looking back.

“Right behind you friend!” Thor called after him.

They watched until Rocket was out of sight. Assured they were alone, Thor reached for Bruce’s hand and then crushed the smaller man to his chest inhaling the stench of the battle in Bruce’s gray and black curls.

“Thor? Thor? Too tight,” Bruce choked.

“Oh! My apologies Banner,” Thor sniffled relaxing his grip, but refusing to give Bruce more than kissing space.

Bruce shimmied a numbing arm from around Thor’s chest to wipe a tear drying on Thor’s cheeks.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay,” Bruce said soothing Thor as his hands spazzed out touching every random part of Thor just once, as if he was inventorying Thor’s body. 

His fingertips brushed over Thor’s lips; Thor trapped them there and for a moment they just stared, words unneeded. Then, wild sloppy painful kisses: noses smashed against each other, teeth razed against lips. Neither cared. They kept fumbling at each other as they had on the stolen Grandmaster’s ship, and in Thor’s private rooms on the Asgardian ships, still fearful the other might blip out of existence in that very moment because could anything else NOT surprise Thor at this point? He refused to take any chances. Not with Bruce back in his arms. Finally.

He kissed Bruce’s forehead and just held him close, gently and less frantic this time. Bruce nudged his head under Thor’s chin and wrapped his arms around Thor’s ribs tighter than ever.

“Banner, you cannot know the despair that plagued me when I thought I had lost you too. Just like everyone else,” he said finally breaking down. He slid to his knees clutching Bruce’s hips.

Bruce shushed him and combed his fingers all the way through the spiky top of Thor’s dark blond hair, before sinking down and settling into Thor’s lap.

“I know man. I felt it too, but you didn’t. We didn’t. I don’t know why or how we… were spared, but. We were.”

Bruce massaged one of Thor’s ears absent-mindedly as Thor closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, relaxing for the first time in days. This was his home now. Wherever Bruce Banner was.

“Hey, you know what? Want to know the reason why I got in that suit?” Bruce asked; they both looked over at the empty shell he fought in.

“Because Hulk wouldn’t come out?” Thor answered with a sniffle. He kissed Bruce’s palm and held it close against his cheek with his eyes closed again.

“Yeah, well that was one of the reasons,” Bruce said rolling his eyes at the mention of The Other Guy. “But the main reason is that I thought I’d lost you. And I remembered fighting in Sakaar, well _Him_ fighting…”

Thor smiled and peeked at Bruce with his real eye.

“He was ferocious and awesome!”

“Yeah...um. Where’d you get the other eye?” Bruce tapped beneath the reddish brown eye.

“Rabbit. He just… had one handy. He’s so resourceful and brave.” Thor grinned in admiration of Rocket. “But, you were saying Banner.”

Bruce bit his lip nodding in his own way when he tried to make sense out of something. Thor smiled appreciatively grateful for the wonder of this human he was lucky to love.

“Uh...okay. Yeah, anyway. You told em to go on instinct right? Flying Grandmaster’s ship. So, that’s what I did. I went to battle for you and Tony and everybody on that goddamn battlefield. But mostly I…”Bruce swallowed hard. “I thought if you were already gone, what did I have to lose?”

Thor nodded understanding the mentality. He grasped Bruce’s chin and kissed him again. 

A hawk-eagle squawked overhead, silhouetted in the last rays of the African setting sun. The powerful stream of the waterfall in the distance echoed in the quiet empty clearing of the forest.

Thor cleared his throat.

“I felt the same Banner. Truly I did. There is a part of me that is saddened by my failure of this world. This universe.”

“Thor—”

“Wait Banner,” he said placing a finger gently on Bruce’s lips. “But with you, here in my arms, on this day I am immensely grateful to my almighty fathers for the gift bestowed upon me to see you again. And to…” he paused nervously taking one Banner’s hands, “to pledge my love to you. If you would have me, Bruce Banner.”

Bruce gaped at him blinking.

“Thor, are you proposing?”

 

 

**ACT FIVE: NEBULA**

 

She looked at him, bloodied in his broken red and gold metallic suit.

Pretty impressive for an Earthling.

Not only had he managed to draw blood, but Thanos knew him by name: Tony Stark. What a privilege.

Nebula smirked victorious. But only for a second. The bitter memory of how they nearly bested Thanos replayed in her mind. They were so close! They could have succeeded, but no! Gamora’s stupid half-human lover, Quinn? Quill? messed up his own plan. And damn Gamora. Whatever the hell she didn’t do to stop Thanos from getting the soul stone. And fuck that human magician who just gave up the time stone. For Tony Stark.

She let out a guttural sigh of fury. Her mechanical blue fists were balled up so tight she heard the familiar screech of the fingertips and knuckles grinding dangerously against the design. She glared at the broken man—both physically and psychologically— as he lay unconsolable, smearing his wet face in the purplish dirt and _dust_ of the recently disintegrated whining boy. The two of them existed on a truly barren planet, Titan.

Nebula’s black eyes squinted in annoyance, pissed that she now had to escort this man home. She knew his kind fought in futile against Thanos and his army. But, if she was going to continue her battle to destroy the Mad Titan, she would need intel.

Just as she took a stop towards Tony, he let out a howling raspy cry and pounded the ground twice with his fist  in an attempt to sit up. It was a foreign emotion, compassion, but she regarded him with a… less hostile glare. She knew her sister was dead, murdered by their sadistic psychopath of a father figure. She knew this on a cognitive level.

But she didn’t see it.

Not the way Tony saw it. Felt it. Lived it.

She didn’t experience the weight of a corporeal body in her arms, hear the precise unforgettable anguish pleading or witness the sight of gray and brown eyes disintegrating into insignificant specks of dust, matter reduced to particles in an indifferent universe, simply floating away with zero regard for those who remained behind.

She wondered which of them were cursed as she winced annoyed by the muffled high-pitched whine of Tony Stark’s grief. Had he forgotten she was there? Perhaps he didn’t give a shit. Either way, she sure as hell wasn’t going to wait for the planet to explode—leave it to Thanos to fuck them over to the nth degree.

They needed to leave. Now.

“Hey,” she barked squinting against the fading violet starlight flashing on the horizon. “We need to leave. I’m taking you home. Someone on your planet has to have a plan…”

A broken sob escaped Tony.

Nebula rolled her eyes. What were the good of tears? For fuck’s sake. She was going to give him until the count of three to get off this accursed ground, but as her hips shifted weight and she re-clenched her fists, he got to one knee, panting and clutching his injured side missing a huge chunk of armor.

She carefully helped him up. 

“I might have something on my my ship. For the pain,” she lied.

Tony grunted staggering next to her.

Good, she thought. She hadn’t packed anything because she was on a suicide mission to destroy Thanos. What did she care if she got blown to pieces?

But she hadn’t been blown to pieces. In fact, she didn’t do a goddamn thing herself to stop Thanos, not anymore than Gamora’s ragtag band of friends or the other Earthlings.

They hadn’t failed. She had. She knew what she was up against and she wasted her shot letting them fight him. A nagging thought creeped in her skull. If she hadn’t called Mantis… maybe, just maybe she’d be alive.

Tony didn’t say a word as she strapped him in the co-pilot seat. She was grateful for it. He embodied her unexpressed grief and it was times like this she wondered if not caring (as much) was an advantage. How terrible to be utterly devastated by your emotions for someone else. Look where it got Gamora. And that wizard that was clearly in love with Tony Stark. And now, even he was practically incapacitated with grief over the kid.

The ship set course for Earth.

“We're going through a series of hyper jumps.”

She peeked at his unresponsive form steering roughly. “This might hurt. Actually, it’s gonna hurt like a bitch.”

Tony closed his eyes and settled against the headrest.

 

***                              *                                   ***

 

They hurtled through the Earth’s atmosphere in flames around the ship’s heat barriers when the call came through. A crackling voice sparked from Tony’s antenna in his suit.

“Sir?” a vaguely Irish woman’s voice called.

“Friday?” Tony coughed and clutched his injured ribs as he sat up too fast in surprise.

“Sir, welcome back. Though I sense…” static cut her off, “...catastrophe. Where’s Peter Parker? Shall I initiate the Baby Monitor protoc—”

“He’s gone.” Nebula said more harshly than she meant to. She looked over unexpectedly and met Tony’s wide brown eyes, unapologetic for her mechanical body hacking his communication channel.

“F-Friday, where is everyone. Get me a location on Rhodey or Bruce?” Tony said oddly invigorated by the staticky communication with his faithful AI.

“Sir, I'm sending coordinates of Mr. James Rhodes now.”

Tony’s shaky hand clutched at the flickering light in his chest.

“Thank god,” he sighed.

“I put in the coordinates. Where's it taking us?” Nebula asked surprised to be so relieved to have Tony talking.

“Wakanda.”

She punched buttons on her keypad, flipped two gray levers, and steered left over a vast indigo body of water reflecting the night’s sky.

They had no idea how much time had elapsed between their travel and the events of The Snap, but Tony advised her to steer away from the impenetrable shield of Wakanda’s first defense. They landed a hundred feet away from Friday’s calculations of the Southwestern sector, which had been detected as unlocked. She powered down her ship and unsealed the the doors.

“We should probably signal that we’re not hostiles,” Tony said with an unmistakable hint of panic in his voice as she unbuckled him.

“Thanos and his army are long gone.” Nebula said gruffly stomping down the ramp and getting off the ship.

They walked in the darkness for a few moments until Nebular powered a light source in her palm. The grassy plains of Wakanda were blood-stained with different color blood. There was a bald, badly burned circle with branded ruins in the earth-- the distinct look of a lightning strike. By a certain Asgardian. They continued to take appraising cautious steps, walking over strewn bodies and machinery of alien carcass. Tony covered his nose as a brief reprieve from the stench of rotting bodies.

A blue hologram appeared in front of them.

“Welcome Mr. Stark and guest.”

Nebula’s legs clanked to a stop in the knee-high grass blowing in the breeze.

“It’s Nebula. And I'm not his goddamn chauffeur,” she growled.

Tony, feeling a bit more like himself shrugged with a wink.

“Well, you kinda are."

At the palace flanked by the remaining Dora Milaje, a tall lithe Shuri greeted them solemnly. Her long braids hung below her shoulders, she stood before Nebula and Tony unadorned in her princess attire.

“Mr. Stark, there are many who will be pleased to see you are alive,” she said urgently waving over healers.

“Tony, please. Trust me the feeling is mutual. I am honored to meet Princess Shuri. T’Challa always spoke highly of you” he said immensely grateful with a small bow as she shook her hand. “Is this everyone?” he whispered, half-knowing the answer.

Shuri’s warm brown eyes immediately teared up, but she bit down on the inside of her cheek and sighed, successfully restraining her tears in the presence of so many. She nods once and gives Tony’s hand a hard squeeze.

Nebula hummed to herself impressed. Unlike everyone else, this young girl before them tamper down on her urge to cry.

“Ah, is this one of your infamous AI technologies?” she said a tad bit cheerful, turning a curious eye to Nebula, cataloging and inventorying Nebula’s body.

Nebula growled, fists coming up. The Dora Milaje immediately shielded Shuri with the vibranium-tipped spearheads just as Tony hobbled to block Nebula.

“I am no man’s creation!” Nebula’s gruff voice yelled. Shaved brown heads turned in their direction.

Shuri gestured a “stand-down” hand command and the two women obeyed without hesitation. But the taller woman, the same dark complexion as Shuri, glared at Nebula and spoke in a harsh hissing tone in the Wakandan dialect for addressing a superior.

“No,” Shuri said without looking behind her. “They are our guests. Please,” she said with a small hand held up, her eyes finding Nebula’s. “I meant no offense Miss…?”

Nebula took a step back fuming. “Nebula.”

Her black eyes scanned the room for the only two Guardians who weren’t with them on Titan. Quickly, she locked eyes with Shuri coldly. “I don’t want to be rude, your _highness_ , but I seek two other travelers. A walking tree and a short triangle-faced monkey.”

Shuri, Tony, and the Dora Milaje squinted at her in confusion.

“A what?” Tony said with a scrunched up face.

Nebula huffed until a sensor beeped in left ear. She spotted Rocket slumped on a floor in a corner.

“Of course, please,” Shuri said, more to the Dora Milaje than to Nebula. She turned and clapped twice at healers behind her.

“Get this man to a medic pod. I shall attend to him myself.” Shuri commanded with a steady voice.

Tony for once said nothing as he gently rolled onto a white gleaming bed hovering in the air at hip-level. The warm turquoise lights of the vibranium-powered pod blinked against the black marble floor, highlighting the Wakandan characters meticulously etched in each tile.

Before following Tony, Shuri (and the Dora Milaje) peek behind their shoulders in the direction of Nebula’s narrowed gaze.

“Oh yes. He is a curious creature,” Shuri remarked diplomatically clasping her hands in front of her.

“Where’s the other one? The tree?” Nebula asked in her gruff tone, but she knew immediately off Shuri’s expression.

“I need to talk to speak with him. Then, we’ll go…” She lied, with a glance at the two bald-headed warriors faithfully flanking Shuri. They were going to leave. But they didn’t need to know that she intended on taking Tony Stark with her once he was healed.

“Of course! You are welcome to stay here as long as you need. We are all trying to make sense of…” Shuri shook her head slowly.

Nebula growled in the back of her throat. “I don’t need to make sense of anything. I know what’s happened and I won’t rest until I kill Thanos.”

Shuri’s eyes widened slightly at Nebula. “If such a thing is possible.”

“It is.”

“Well my friend, you are not alone in your desire for retribution. But, I think it will be in your best interest to see this as a period for recuperation. For everyone.” Shuri held out a regal, wiry arm creating a pathway to Rocket for Nebula.

Nebula squinted at her. Perhaps this young princess knew more than she was letting on.

“Thank you,” she said, with an earnest nod and stalked over to Rocket. 

His short stiff whiskers bristled as he sniffled audibly. Hi paws, gray with dust, lay limp in his lap where usually a weapon would rest. Shit. She didn’t want to have to bear anymore bad news. Nebula gritted her teeth in fury, seething once again at the maniacal bastard she foolishly called father for most of her life.

Rocket’s wet eyes looked up and his furry little neck snapped in her direction.

Nebula halted abruptly, bracing herself for a fight. They hadn’t exactly parted on good terms. Who the hell knew what that cybernetic beast was thinking?

Whatever threat she thought Rocket posed, vanished as he unsteadily got to his feet, swaying on the spot as if he was drunk, before staggering over and clutching her at the knees. 

“Oh thank god,” he muffled into her thighs. “Don’t get me wrong. If anyone survived, I wouldn’t have wanted it to be you—”

“Thanks,” she huffed nudging her off him with her knees.

“But you know. The joys of a familiar face and all that.” Rocket continued not letting go.

She held her arms out awkwardly confused and slightly disgusted. She hadn’t taken Rocket to be the hugging type, but she laid a tentative hand on the top of his head, barely brushing over one of his ears when he stumbled backwards as if finally remembering who he was dealing with.

“The others? They, uh…” his paw batted at the air lazily as he avoided eye contact.

“Yes,” Nebula hissed, unable to clamp down on her internal rage just yet. “But Gamora—”

Rocket’s head shot up, his mouth split open in pure surprise. The hope that exploded on his face nearly burned Nebula’s circuits. She realized she shouldn’t have spoken and folded her arms, but no point sugar-coating anything.

“He-he killed her first. To get the soul stone,” she muttered quickly averting her black eyes and finding a clump of wires dangling from the high ceiling where an explosion cracked the foundation. 

Rocket whimpered and stumbled backwards two steps before dropping his head, which hung heavy with dashed hopes.

Nebula didn't know how to comfort him, but she bent down and clamped her turquoise metallic hand onto Rocket’s tiny furry arm. 

“Hey!” She whispered fiercely. “It’s not over. We’ll fix this!”

Rocket huffed a mock laugh.

“Fix this? Fix _this_!” he screamed wrenching his arm out of her hand. “Fix what huh? Everyone’s dead! Dust! Finito! There’s nothing… we can’t… we…”

He heaved once, twice, three times.

Nebula stood up at her full height towering over the strange grieving creature. She placed her hands on her narrowly calculated hips allowing him a moment to calm down.

“There wasn’t even a twig left of Groot,” he whispered defeated.

Nebula resisted the urge to roll her eyes again, but she was seriously done with all of everyone’s boo-hooing. Time to change the subject. Sort of.

“So how’d you get here?

Rocket hiccuped, sniffled, and laughed all at once.

“My pirate angel,” he replied shockingly cheerful.

“Your what?” Her voice dropped half an octave in disbelief.

Rocket pointed his paw across the atrium of a foyer to a pair of men walking in. Nebula turned around, her optics zoomed in on the taller blond man clasping the hand of the shorter brunet, trying to get a read on their identities.

“You moron that’s not an angel,” she grunted. “He’s an Asgardian god. They call him Thor Odinson.”

“Huh? How about that? Well, Drax was close when he…”Rocket’s voice broke off and his ears drooped.

From across the room, as if summoned by thought, Nebula watched Thor plant a brief kiss on the top of the head of the shorter human with the unnatural gamma radiation composition before walking in their direction. Rocket did a double-take and hastily pawed at his face as Thor upon approach bowed his head at Nebula with a courteous amount of silent acknowledgement before dropping to bended knee to address Rocket again.

“Ah, sweet Rabbit,” he greeted in a soothing voice smiling.

Nebula swore under her breath. What was it with the pet names?

My apologies for not checking on you sooner,” Thor said earnestly stroking Rocket’s furry arm.

Rocket snorted. 

“Our friends are dead and you’re worried about me?”

“Of course! We’ve all… suffered great losses.” Thor frowned, worried he had offended Rocket again.

Nebula scrunched her face at Thor bending slightly to get in his face.

“Oh yeah? Who have you lost? Don't’ think we didn’t see you with your… mate,” she sneered.

Thor blushed. Rocket growled bearing his pointy teeth and swiped at Nebula who darted just out of his reach.

“What the hell?” She snarled.

“Listen up bot girl ‘cause I'm only gonna say this once,” Rocket quipped pleased to see Nebula caught off guard. “My friend here lost his brother and his parents and his planet and… his hammer, ok? So back off.” Rocket shouted ready to launch himself at her before Thor reached out and held him back by the fur on his neck like a mother cat restraining her young.

Nebula skipped back in alarm.

“Sorry,” she huffed resisting the urge to kick the vermin.

But then she lowered her eyes at Thor who only smiled appreciatively at Rocket as he relaxed his grip on the calmed down raccoon.

“Sorry,” she apologized widening her eyes with sincerity.

“It’s okay, Rabbit,” said Thor tightly, his fragile cheerful state dismantled by Rocket’s defense. “We’re all angry and our hearts are filled with the mightiest grief, though your friend here—”

Rocket glared at Nebula and folded his arms.

“—Speaks with truth. For I am indeed comforted by a certain Midgardian. Fated with more luck than most, but I do not wish to boast of my good fortune just now,” he continued as he stood to his full towering height. His massive left hand clasped over his chest, practically bursting with joy all over again.

Rocket waved him down. “Go on, I insist.”

“Oh no, I can’t,” Thor shook his head looking away. But not really.

“No really. I insist.” Rocket urged.

“Do you really?” Thor asked biting his lip.

“Ugh! Oh my god! Yes! Just tell us,” Nebula uttered flopping her head back, beyond impatient.

Thor chortled and hunched his shoulders as if he was betraying a secret on an elementary playground.  “Well, if you insist… Banner has agreed to be my betrothed!

His shoulders bounced and his cheer was overwhelming contagious.

“Aww hell pirate. Congratulations. You deserve it.” Rocket said nodding vigorously.

Thor booped Rocket’s snout affectionately, but Rocket instinctively flinched and wiggled his whiskers.

“Thank you friend. That really means a lot to me.”

Thor’s blue eyes watered out of contentment. Rocket shivered and fluttered his long striped tail. Nebula detected a thermal increase in the creature. Oh god he was blushing. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head disgusted.

“You know what? This deserves a toast, right Nebula?” Rocket asked with a shrug.

Her head snapped down at him. “I literally don't care.”

“Fantastic friend! But I don’t see him…I would have you meet him Blue Droid woman” said Thor scanning the room.

Thoroughly enraged and one hundred percent done with the both of them, Nebula rolled her eyes and stomped away. They were utterly useless and already she had wasted so much time on this ridiculous planet. She needed to find Tony Stark.  If there was anyone who could possibly assist her on this planet with killing Thanos, it would be him. Nebula weaved through the curious solemn crowd of Wakandan warriors and scientists either directing the hovering medical pods with injured people on them or carting various scraps of equipment for repairs. She made the first turn available down a wide corridor full of warm turquoise light, piping lined both walls with intricate geometric designs. Two approaching Dora Milaje whispered in disagreement. Nebula was sure they would probably not know where one more injured person would be, but she was desperate to find Tony.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for Tony Stark,” she asked removing as much harshness out of her usual voice as possible.

The warrior women narrowed their eyes unsure if they should be suspicious or indifferent, but they slowed down before her.

“I brought him here. It’s important that I see him. Please?”

She visibly relaxed. The women accepted like so many others that the real enemy had long gone and relaxed their stance.

“He is four doors down,” said one of the women in a thick accent. The other woman tipped her spear in the direction behind Nebula.

They swiftly resumed their walk and argument without another word or glance.

“Thank you,” Nebula whispered behind their back. She was grateful since she was not accustomed to straight-forward interactions.

Male voices drifted out of the cracked door to Tony’s room. Nebula eavesdropped waiting for the right moment to step in.

“Bruce don't.”

“Tony, if there’s a chance we can strike Thanos… Thor thinks there’s a way. We’ve got to try.”

“He’s right,” said Nebula slamming the door open uninvited.

Bruce spun around startled and gaped at her.

“Uh-uh ok.” He stuttered to himself.

“What?” she huffed back on the defensive, until she realized who he was.

“No-nothing! Sorry, I…” Bruce smiled as he backed away from her to the other side of Tony’s bed.

Nebula crossed, then uncrossed her arms in a new effort to appear less hostile.

“Oh hey!” Tony called out with a superficial cheerfulness Nebula found as equally tiresome as everyone grieving over those dusted.

“Whatever. I'm Nebula. Got him home.” She pointed her chin at Tony, who winced as he sat up straighter in his bed.

“Bruce, meet my co-survivor from the Titan excursion,” Tony gestured between the two of them with a deadened smile that slipped off his face as his mind tried to repel the reminder of all that happened there.

Bruce stepped forward and motioned to shake hands, but Nebula squeezed her fists against the panels of her thighs. Ever conscious of tense and vulnerable body language, he dropped his open hand respecting her personal space and opted for a smile across the room.

“I’m Bruce Ba—”

“I know who you are. Thor’s mate. Congratulations,” she said visibly relaxing. She tried to smile, but her forehead kept frowning as if it it couldn’t understand why should try to make those facial expressions right now.

Tony dramatically sputtered in surprise immensely grateful for the new mental distraction from the horrors of the day.

“Whoa! What? You and Thor?” his lips continued to move wordlessly with a stupid smile on his face. “When?”

 _Oh god. Not again_ , Nebula thought as Bruce blushed with his hands trying to wave away the conversation.

“Aw, Tony it’s not important now. I mean, he asked me to marry him, so you know I said yes. But this really isn’t the time right?” Bruce looked at Nebula with a shrug.

She nearly tripped rushing to speak as she moved closer to Tony’s bed. “He’s right. We don’t have time for this.”

“Uh-uh. Zip it,” Tony waved his good arm at Nebula, who squinted at him as she restrained herself from choking him. “Bruce, I absolutely want to hear about this intergalactic romance. When did he pop the question? Have you guys set a date? C’mon man. Don’t hold out on me. Details, details.” Tony held his open palm rapidly flexing with a “gimme” gesture.

“But—” Nebula protested.

“Hey!” Tony yelled, all pretense of good humor gone. “I just watched the love of my fucking live just…”

He slumped back against his pillow for a moment, then smiled his PR smile through new tears.

“Brucie-Bruce?” He sniffled and tilted his head in his friend’s direction and fluttered his wet black lashes. “Give me some good news.”

Nebula glared at Bruce with a don’t-you-dare stare, but Bruce shrugged at her feeling guiltier for more than one reason now.

“Well, remember when I told you I met him on Sakaar, it wasn’t just y’know? I mean, I didn’t think he even felt that way about me, but…”

“Why not? Tony asked offended. “Course he would. You kidding me?”

Bruce stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “Yeah yeah. But it’s a long story…” he winced and bit his lip.

“Really? Do tell! Hey— can he handle the Big Green Guy?” Tony wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

Nebula looked between them confused. Bruce cleared his throat and massaged his throat as he blushed more intensely than before.

“Yeah? As far as I know?” he said, his face scrunched up as he wondered whether he said too much.

Tony’s jaw hung open. He was _not_ expecting that.

“Kinky,” he winked with approval. “It’s totally cool. I ship it. All the cool kids do.”

Bruce snorted. “Thanks?”

Nebula tipped her violent and blue skull backwards with a guttural sigh at the ceiling. People in love were the worst.

“Okay, I'm happy for you. I really am,” she growled at Bruce cutting off Tony. “But can we please talk about Thanos?”

Bruce scratched his ear nodding vigorously. “Shit Tony, she’s right. I know you don’t want to think about Stephen right now or the kid—”

Tony exhaled. His face dropped and he directed a fierce gaze at Nebula, deliberately ignoring Bruce.

“M’kay killjoy. What’s the plan?”

Nebula smirked in triumph at Bruce.

“You and I, and maybe …”she rolled her eyes hard, “The rest of your friends here need to go after Thanos. Now. He’s weak. I know it. The snap would have slowed him down.”

“Slowed him down?” Tony huffed. “We could barely fight him when he was two stones down. Look, I hate to break it to the two of you, but—”

“No!”

Nebula seized the edge of bed shifting it closer to her. “You can’t give up. None of you can.”

“What’s your deal? You want him so bad. Just go after him yourself.” Tony slumped against his pillows exhausted. 

“I can’t. I can’t do it by myself.”

And there it was. Nebula exhaled and grimaced as she realized the truth of her words. With deep regret she thought of her sister Gamora, the one who only ever loved her as best as they could under Thanos’ unhealthy guardianship. If she had listened, if they had worked together as Gamora suggested so many times in vain…

In the corner of the room behind them, golden orange sparks flickered as a circular portal widened. Nebula skidded away from the bed backing into the door with her arms raised in fight mode.

“Stephen?” Tony gasped, hardly daring to believe it. Could it be that easy for him to have found them from another dimension? 

Bruce wisely deduced otherwise and gently clasped his hand on Tony’s arm.

“Tony’s it’s not…” he said in a hushed tone.

Wong stepped through, shaken but unharmed.

Nebula put her hands down. Of course there would be more human mages. She narrowed her eyes calculating the odds of a plan featuring a mage without Tony Stark or any earthly technologies.

“Tony. Bruce,” Wong said in his usual gruff voice as his eyes swept the small room. His lips clamped shut as he noted who was not there.

He pulled out a small, hand-crafted leather-bound notebook from the folds of his brown and crimson robes. On the cover were jagged etchings. Tony’s forehead creased as his shaky hand took it from Wong reluctantly. He inhaled a shuddering breath as his fingertips traced the marking as if he was reading Braille.

“What is it Tony?” Bruce asked.

“His initials,” Tony sighed with his eyes closed.

“I started to read it since it’s mostly Stephen’s notes about the Infinity stones, but there’s a letter for you Tony.” Wong said making eye contact.

“Does it say anything on how to kill Thanos?” Nebula spoke up harshly, greedy for knowledge as Tony flipped through the book.

“Not really,” Tony said beating Wong to the answer. He scanned the letter tearing up as he flipped the notebook shut. “But there’s someone who might stand a chance at _fixing_ this.”

“Who?” Nebula and Bruce asked.

“Carol Danvers,” said a voice at the door.

Everyone turned around to see Steve Rogers looking impossibly small in the doorway.

“If he hasn’t already, I'm sure Nick Fury has reached out to her by now.”

Nebula sensed the palpable tension in the room between Rogers and Tony Stark, but she didn’t care about whatever petty grievances they had with one another. But for once in her life, instead of slinking away to fight battles on her own, she would try a different tactic: working with others.

“Hey Smurfette,” Tony looked eyes with her and she squinted at him to let him know she was not a fan of the nickname.

“If we go after Thanos, get those stones, what are our chances?” he asked rubbing the light in his chest.

Everyone looked at her.

“Of getting them back? Without those stones, without killing Thanos, you’ll never see them again.” She folded her arms.

“Sounds like we need a plan.” Tony said as determined as she was.

Nebula smiled in agreement.

 

_The End_


End file.
